Trump celebrates TikTok deal that falls short of his key demands

Sceptics say Trump singled out TikTok for political reasons – either because of a perception its users dislike him, or to bludgeon China – and that he took an agreement that met few of his terms for the same reason. — AFP

The TikTok video-sharing app was already under US scrutiny when users pranked President Donald Trump’s campaign by pretending to reserve thousands of tickets to a June re-election rally in Oklahoma.

For Trump administration hardliners who wanted a tougher stance toward Beijing and viewed the Chinese-owned app as a national security threat, it was the perfect moment to pounce. The president, furious over the Covid-19 pandemic and embarrassed by empty seats at his campaign event, obliged.